Method of heating



2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

W. P. SKIFFINGTON.

METHOD OF HEATING,

Patented Oct. 2, 189.4.

I No. 527.029.

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' UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM P. SKIFFINGTON, OF YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF THREE- FOUBTHS TOANDREW G. PAUL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS,

I VIETHODl O F HEATING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 527,029, dated October2, 1894. Application filed August 8, 1892. Serial No.442,424=. (N0specimens.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. SKIFFING- TON, a citizen of theUnitedStates, and a residentof the city of New York, in the county and Stateof New York, have invented a certain new and useful Method of Heating;and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,'and exactdescription of the same.

This invention relates to the method of heating which consists insupplying steam, or other suitable heating agent, to systems employedfor heating buildings, and maintaining the circulation of the heatingagent throughout the system, and it originally formed part of thesubject matter of my application for Letters Patent filed August 11,1891, under Serial No. 402,384.

My improved method consists, in supplying steam or other heating agent(drawn from aboiler, or other suitable source) in measured quantities,at or below atmospheric pressure and causing said steam to flow to theplace of use by reducing the pressure thereat.

In the best embodiment of my improved method the air which is in theheating system at the start, or which collects therein from time to timeduring its'operation', is 'removed from the system independently of thepressure within the system. By this method I am also enabled to regulatemore accurately, and between wider limits, the amount of heat which isgiven off by the radiating apparatus. Thus, while the radiator, (byhaving its heating agent under a pressure somewhat less than theatmospheric pressure,) would heat the air in a room substantially asefticiently as the same radiator having the same heating agent under apressure of thirty pounds, it will be seen that by reducing sufficientlythe pressure upon the heating agent in the radiator, such heating agentmay be so expanded, and the number of heat units contained in' it may beso reduced as to supply a less degree of heat to the air of theapartment, In' this way the temperature of the apartment is readilyreduced, whereas, in the old systems, if the radiator were used at all,the heat given off by it could only be changed within very narrow limitsand this mainly by varying the pressure of the heating agent in theboiler, or other source of supply.

From the above it will be apparent that my improved method securesmarked advantages, from the fact that the pressure within the radiatingapparatus can be reduced to any point desired, and the temperature thusaccurately regulated, so that a given temperature can be produced by theuse of a minimum quantity of steam, or other heating agent;

It willbe obvious that my improved method may be efficiently operatednot only when embodied in a heating system in which only one radiator orheater is employed, but also with pluralities of heaters or radiators,as shownin the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,to which reference should be had to fully comprehend the invention.

In said drawings similar letters of refer- ;ence indicate like parts inthe both figures which will now be described sufliciently to ;en'ablethose skilled in the art to readily understand the practical adaptationsof my zmethod. v

Figure 1 shows an apparatus containing :but a single radiator or heater,the same being vconnected on the plan of asingle pipe system,that is tosay, having but one pipe for the admission of the heating agent and thereturn of the water of condensationf Fig. 2 illustrates an apparatuscontaining three radiators or heaters, allot them connected on the planof a double pipe system, and each radiator having in its own particularsupply pipe ameasuring device which is supplemental to the restricted orcontracted opening in the main supply pipe.

I will-"now describe in their order the difierentforms of apparatusshown in both the figures, and the manner in which my improved method iscarried out in such several arrangements.

Referring to Fig. 1, a is a radiator or heater which is constructed inany usual or ordinary manner. I) is the supply pipe, which is connectedwith any suitable source from which the steam or other heating agent isto be supplied to the system. This supply pipe is provided with ameasuring device consisting of a restricted or contracted openings. Thisopening 0 can be made in any suitable manner, as by reducing thediameter or size of the pipe,

rod

or by employing a valve adapted to reduce the opening in. the pipe tothe desired point, or by employing what is technically called a reducingvalve, that is to say, a valve which will operate to keep the pressurein the pipes at one side of it at a certain point, no matter how thepressure may vary above that point in the pipes on the other or supplyside of the valve. The size of this restricted opening will depend uponthe extent of surface to which heat has to be supplied in the radiatingappliances, and upon the pressure of the steam or other heating agentinthe source of supply from which the heating agent is drawn. (1 is anextension of the supply pipe, running down to the tank 6, in which thewater of condensation is collected. This tank e as shown, is open to theatmosphere, but the.

pipe (Z extends down nearly to the. bottom of the tank e, so that thelower end of the pipe d can be sealed by the water of condensation whichescapes into the tank 6. f is an air pipe independent of the, supplypipe b,and

connected at one end with the heater a, and at the other end with anexhauster h. The exhauster may be of any ordinary construction adaptedto the work to be performed,- the varieties of exhauster which I preferto use being a steam-jet exhauster, when steam above the pressure of theatmospherecan be conveniently obtained to supply it,or a

water-jet exhauster supplied by water under pressure. In theconstruction shown in the drawings the pipef is connected with theheater at a suitable place above the point where the water ofcondensation collects. g is an automatic valve placed upon the air pipef, for preventing the steam or other heating agentfrom being drawnthrough the pipe f after the air has been exhausted from the heater.This valve 9 is constructed in such away that it closes when the heatingagent is brought into contact with it, but,

opens when any quantityof air collects near it, and thus reduces thetemperature of that part of the heater. i is an ordinary valve placed inthe supply pipe b, to enable the supply of the heating agent to beentirely L 10ft when desired.

ly improved method is carried out in the employment-of the apparatusjust described and shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings as follows: I willsuppose that the heating agont employed isto be steam. The steam istaken from any source of supply and may be under any degree of pressure,either above atmospheric pressure, or just equal to atmosphericpressure, or below atmospheric pressure. The valve 1' is opened so as topermit the steam to pass through thesupply pipeb and through therestricted opening 0 in that pipe. The exhauster h is put into operationpreferably at or about the same time, and the air is exhausted from theradiator a and the supply pipe I) and, its extension d, through the airpipe f. Before the operation is begun, the lower end of the pipe dissealed in the tank same. diator, the water of condensation flows back.under in the boiler, or other source e, by placing water in the tank 6to a height suflicient to seal the lower end of the pipe d, or by usingan ordinary check valve. By reason of the exhausting of the air from theradiator and its pipes, the steam is very quickly introduced into theradiator a, and the radiator is in this way brought into almostimmediate operation in heating the surrounding atmosphere. As soon asthe steam reaches the automatic valve g, that valve is closed by theaction of the heat given 01f by the steam at that point. The system isnow full of steam. This steam will be under a pressure just equal to orless than atmospheric pressure, by reason of the fact that the steam hashad to pass through the restricted opening 0 of the supply pipe and intoa space, to wit, the pipes of the heater from which air has beenexhausted and in which the pressure has therefore been reduced. As theradiator gives off its heat the steam in such radiator will becondensed, tending in this way to reduce the pressure in the radiator.As a result of this condensation and consequent reduction of pressure,more steam will flow into, the radiator through the restricted opening 0in the supply pipe, and

in this way the supply of steam in the radiator will be maintained; but,by reason, of the restricted opening in the supply pipe, the steam inthe radiator will, under ordinary conditions, be kept at a pressureequal to or less than atmospheric pressure, and will therefore beexpanded into greater volume and a smaller amount of steam will fill theradiator andwill accomplish the work of heating the,

As the steam is condensed in the rathrough the vertical part of thesupply pipe I) and its extension d, down into the tank 6, where it iscollected.

The operation abovedescribed is made possible by the fact that theescapeor return pipe for the water of condensation is sealed at itslower end. The effect of sealing this pipe is to prevent the pressure ofthe steam in the system from being in any way affected or modified byany pressure which might otherwise be admitted into the system by thereturn pipe.

In a heating system it is generally known beforehand whatpressure thesteam will be of supply from which the steam is, taken. This being:known, and the extent of surface in the heating system which has to beheated being also known, the restricted opening a can be made of such asize as under the conditions named to permit the entrance of only suchan amount of steam as will keep the steam within the system atatmospheric pressure or a pressure less than atmospheric pressure.

As already stated,in place of the restricted opening 0 of the form shownin Fig. 1, a. reducing valve could be put in its place, which would alsooperate in the manner already explained to keep the steam in the systemat the desired pressure.

It is necessary in carrying out my improved method by the apparatus justdescribed, to keep the system substantially exhausted of air. This isaccomplished by bringing the exhauster h into operation, whenever aircollects in the radiator or at any point or points of the system.

Referring to Fig. 2, a, a and a are radiators or heaters made of anysuitable construction, and the number of which may be varied asdesired. 1) is the supply pipe for the admission of steam. c isareducing valve placed in the supply pipe, constructed in such a waythat the pressure on the heating system side of it can be kept at apressure just equal to atmospheric pressure, or at a pressure below thatpoint, irrespective of the variations of the pressure of the steam uponthe other side of it in the source of supply. The radiators shown inthis figure are all constructed in accordance with the double pipesystem, that is to say, the steam is admitted to each radiator throughthe branch of the supply pipe I), and the water of condensation ispermitted to escape from each radiator through a separate return pipe. dis the return pipe for the water of condensation leading from theradiator a to the tank e, or to a common pipe (1 which connects thereturn pipes from the different radiators and which itself runs into thetank e. d is the return pipe for the water of condensation leading fromthe radiator 11 and connecting with the common pipe 01 that extends intothe tank 6.

d is the return pipe that leads from the radiator a into the common piped that runs into the tank 6. Each of the return pipes d, d d is providedwith a check valve near its lower end, just above where it connects withthe pipe (1. These check valves serve to permit of the escape of thewater of condensation through the return pipe (1 but to prevent thereturn in the contrary direction of any steam or airinto such returnpipes. f is the air pipe which is provided with several branches leadingto each radiator and one branch leading to the top of the tank e. Theair pipe is connected at one end to the exhauster h. This air pipe isalso provided with automaticyalves g at the points Where it is connectedwith the radiators and with tank, for the purpose of preventing theexhaustion of steam from the radiators and tank into the air pipe, asalready explained in connection with Fig. 1. p is a pipe running fromthe lower end of the supply pipe b down to the common pipe 61 forpermitting the escape of such water of condensation as may flow down thesupply pipe I). This pipep is also provided at its lower end with acheck valve for the purpose already described. The tank e is providedwith two valves or pet-cocks t, I, one at the top of the tank to admitthe air when it is desired to draw off the water of condensation, andone at the bottom of' said tank to permit the escape of the water ofcondensation. Any other ducing valves similar in character to the valve0 and tend to supplement the action of the valve 0. They also enable thethree radiators to be operated under different pressures, that is tosay, the valve r may be so regulated as to keep the steam in theradiator a at atmospheric pressure, the valve 4 may be so regulated asto keep the steam in the radiator a, under a pressure of three poundsbelow the atmosphere at the same time, and' the valve r may be soregulated as to keep the steam in the radiator a under a pressure of sixpounds below the atmosphere at the same time. In this way the threeradiators may be operated under different pressures, the result of whichwould be that the three radiators would tend to heat the rooms in whichthey were placed, respectively, to different degrees.

My improved method is carried out by the apparatus shown in Fig. 2 insubstantially the same manner as already explained in connection withthe other figure, with the exception that in addition to regulating thepressure of the steam in the system by means of the reducing valve c;the pressure in each radiator can be separately regulated below thatpoint by its own reducing valve.

It is obvious that the supplemental reducing valves 'r, r and r might beomitted, and the pressure in the system controlled simply by thereducing valve 0.

Although the different'formsand arrangements of apparatus abovedescribed are eminently suitable for use in the employment of myimproved method, it must be understood that I do not limit myselfthereto, as it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that suchapparatus may be difierently constituted and arranged by the mereexercise of an engineers judgment while not departing from the essentialprinciple or sacrificing the advantages of the invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The method of heating which consists in supplying steam in measuredquantities at or below atmospheric pressure and causing the flow of saidsteam to the place of use by reducing the pressure thereat.

2. The method of heating which consists in supplying steam in measuredquantities at or below atmospheric pressure, and causing the flow ofsaid steam to the place of use by exhausting the air therefrom, andcausing the steam. to condense thereat and conducting away the water ofcondensation, substantially as before set forth.

WILLIAM P. SKIFFINGTON. Witnesses:

R031. A. KELLOND, HENRY D. WILLIAMS.

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